18-Year-Olds Compete Against One Another in Horrifying Stephen King Adaptation The Long Walk (2025)
Title: The Long Walk
First Non-Festival Release: September 11, 2025 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Francis Lawrence
Writer: JT Mollner, Stephen King
Runtime: 108 Minutes
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
The last time the United States instituted a draft of the selective service, a program that all males aged 18-25 must sign up for in case it is necessary to draft additional soldiers, was during the Vietnam War in June 30, 1973. During this time prolific horror author Stephen King was watching his friends die for a cause most agreed was pointless. Thus, The Long Walk was born.
In The Long Walk, an economic collapse leads the government to instituting a special program to inspire patriotism and hope. Every state is required to send one 18-year-old male to participate in a simple challenge: keep walking until you are the last man standing. Winning means riches beyond your wildest dreams. Losing, however, is not an option. Hailing from the host state, Raymond Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) is determined to make a point when he wins in honor of his late father.
An incisive condemnation on the commodification of boys forever crushed in America’s military industrial complex, The Long Walk is a breathless dystopian horror film that warns of every bit of terror it inspires.
Straightforward, much like the path they will all take, The Long Walk unfurls its terrifying world in perfect stream of consciousness. Offering bite-sized morsels of world-building throughout the challenge, more comes to life about how this new society functions and what dangers lurk along the way. Secret police, widespread poverty, a renewed surge of patriotism, and this pervasive sense of dread characterize this version of the United States. Sound familiar? The logistics, however unimportant they are for the overall experience, are meticulously infused in the story through character osmosis. Without distracting too much from the action or getting too info-dumpy, The Long Walk strategically uses its cast of characters to better flesh out these concerns to better explain this world. The Long Walk does all this to set up its extended metaphor for the brutalization of boys in the United States by way of the military.
Full of wholly fleshed out, complex, interesting characters, The Long Walk is intentional with every action to highlight the injustices poverty creates and how it infects all of society. All of these players have a story to tell, and each of them offers a compelling reason to walk. Their strategies in approaching the task and each other are just as interesting. Some are agents of chaos, seeking to disrupt while others want to make change after participating. Players might train in hopes that smart preparation gives them an advantage while others wing it on the principle that they have nothing left to lose. Factors like race, geography, class, and other identities slice up the conversations further proving that The Long Walk has the range. It’s part of the reason why it hurts so much when they are eliminated. Despite knowing that only one can remain, it’s impossible not to feel sympathy pangs for the boys, who very much act childlike in death no matter how mature, prepared, or wise they appear.
The unapologetic ultraviolence isn’t just an effort to terrify viewers seeking out a horror film but to specifically unsettle them into the realization that this is the reality of war. It’s easy to forget that the United States military lives by the blood of poor, marginalized communities, especially seeking out young men to manipulate into joining. Promises of riches, adventure, and the love of women override the very real possibility of death or dismemberment. Boys fresh out of high school are dropped off at the front lines and forced to kill foreigners of the same age and sensibilities. The reactions the boys in The Long Walk have towards the challenge mimick what their experience would be like drafted into the military. If that fact upsets you: good.
It’s as affecting as it is because of the incredible performances from the young ensemble cast. Shaping an authentic camaraderie amongst each other and playing off the extreme emotions, they make powerful moments out of the tiniest interaction. David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman lead the charge, giving stellar performances centering the resilience, hope, and betrayal of their circumstances. The difference lies in their approach. Jonsson is bright and encouraging, embodying the nature of an impassioned coach or guidance counselor. Hoffman, however, operates in a more cynical light. They work together, in fact, they only persist because of each other. There is so much going on in The Long Walk that it can be easy to miss even the meatier portions. The rest of the ensemble rounds out other critical roles in depicting boys transitioning into men and the tribulations and pitfalls that follow. Regardless of the actor, every single one turns a devastating performance by the time it’s ready for them to go. The result is each death is as impactful as the last, something we wish we could say was true for the scores of young men brutalized across the world in the name of lining the pockets of war profiteers.
Unique, brutal, and heartbreaking at every turn, The Long Walk is a terrifying survival horror that seeks to remind viewers what war does to the body and the mind. Francis Lawrence’s take on the early Stephen King work demonstrates how important it is to question, criticize, and push back against the creep of fascism and authoritarianism. Even if it feels hopeless. Excellent characters, performances, dialogue, and some of the most upsetting moments committed to screen make The Long Walk a can’t miss horror experience. If powerful storytelling and never-ending dread aren’t of any interest to you, it’s best to keep walking.
Overall Score? 9/10
